Domobiles, 1971-1973

In the early 1950s, work on prefabricated plastic shells met with huge success. Ionel Schein opened the way in France by producing the first House entirely in Plastic followed by his Mobile Hotel Cabins (1956). Pascal Häusermann was also developing architecture comprised of bubbles and shells: the pod became the basic element of modular architecture designed to form aggregates, connections or juxtapositions of free elements, to compose endlessly evolving inhabitable complexes. The organic forms of the Domobiles resulted from highly advanced technical and architectonic research. Combinations of pods in polyurethane foam clad in reinforced polyester, the dwelling modules were factory-built and then transported on site, reducing costs and offering broad flexibility to the occupants in the design of their homes. The emblematic project of all Häusermann’s research on the adaptable dwelling, the Domobiles were employed during the 1970s in many developments undertaken by the architect, who also imagined applications for the larger scale of the city.